Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic equipment cabinet structures and enclosures, and, in particular, to rail seals for installing on vertical mounting rails in electronic equipment cabinet structures and enclosures.
Background
Racks, frames and cabinets for mounting and storing electronic components have been well known for many years. Frames and racks are typically simple rectangular frameworks on which electronic components may be mounted, or on which other mounting members, such as shelves or brackets, may be mounted which in turn may support the electronic components. Cabinets are typically frames on which panels or doors, or both, are hung to provide aesthetic improvement, to protect the components from external influences, to provide security for the components stored inside, or for other reasons. Racks, frames and cabinets (sometimes collectively referred to hereinafter as “enclosures”) are often customized in order to best accommodate the components which they are designed to store.
Air dam kits are commonly installed in an enclosure in order to establish a barrier between interior portions of the enclosure. In so doing, air dam kits are used to direct air flow within the enclosure to cool equipment installed therein. Many known air dam kits involve bulky, three-dimensional structures that are often difficult to install within an enclosure during initial set-up and are particularly difficult to retrofit into an existing enclosure. In a retrofitting process, side paneling may need to be removed from the enclosure in order to provide the necessary access point for properly installing the air dam kit. Additionally, known air dam kits can occupy substantial internal space within the enclosure, thereby obstructing the implementation of various cable routing accessories and equipment and compromising the flexibility of the enclosure for a wider range of uses.
Accordingly, a need exists for a more efficient type of air dam kit that occupies less space within an enclosure and can be installed with relative ease. Further, a need exists for a type of air dam kit that can be retrofitted into an existing enclosure through a front access point. Still further, a need exists for a type of air dam kit that is readily adaptable across a wide range of enclosure features and accessories and can accommodate front-to-back cable routing.